Recently, portable electronic devices, such as a smart phone, a cellular phone, a Portable Multimedia Player (PMP), a digital audio player, a tablet Personal Computer (PC), a notebook, a personal navigation device, a portable game console, and the like, have increased sizes of their display units to execute various multimedia functions. Also, the portable electronic device has included therewith an input device (that is, a touch screen) that enables a user to input a screen touch input in cooperation with a display unit, so as to provide a user interface.
There is a probability that an outer case, or particularly, a display unit of the portable electronic device which is installed in a front side is damaged by a scratch or impact while the portable electronic device is carried or is utilized and thus, a protective cover (hereinafter, ‘protective cover’ or ‘cover’) to prevent the damage is provided. An example of technology associated with the protective cover of the portable electronic device is provided in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0083894 by Hwan Gee JANG et al., which published on Sep. 19, 2008 and has the title “Apparatus for controlling operation in a wireless terminal with removable outer case.”
As described above, the portable electronic device equipped with the protective cover may include an apparatus and a function for determining whether the protective cover is in an open state or a closed (e.g., covered) state. Through the above, for example, when the protective cover is in a closed state, a display panel may be deactivated, or the corresponding portable electronic device may be locked/unlocked based on whether the protective cover is open or closed. As a configuration for determining whether the protective cover is open or closed, for example, a configuration in which a magnetic component is contained in an appropriate portion of the protective cover and a hall sensor included in a corresponding portable electronic device may be employed, as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0083894.
However, when a hall sensor is used as described above, the cost of materials for applying the hall sensor may increase and securing space for receiving the hall sensor may be difficult. Due to the magnetic component of the protective cover, a magnetic card (for example, a credit card and the like) carried by a user of the electronic device may be damaged or another device that is carried by the user may malfunction.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.